5 Benefits of Looking for and Visiting Friends

Looking for friends from around the world can open your eyes to so many things. As well as having the opportunity to travel and see different countries as your friendship strengthens, you will also experience a range of cultures.

What this does, of course, is open your eyes to what’s physically possible in terms of travelling the globe. But it can also show you so many different ways of looking at the world. Not all cultures have similar values, after all. The food is different, so too is the way they eat and how they prepare it. Mannerisms, work ethic, sense of humour – all countries have slight variations and it’s such finding out what these are. Meanwhile, here are five individual benefits we have found from looking for, and visiting, international friends in recent years:

Different foods and tastes

Ah, one of the great pleasures in life is eating and when you visit a different country you’ll discover their favourite foods and how they are cooked to perfection. Think lasagne in Italy, sushi in Japan, escargot in France, haggis in Scotland, sardines in Portugal – the list goes on and on. And, of course, there’s not just one delicious signature food in these countries. No, there are lots of lovely dishes to get through. When you go to stay with friends from abroad you can be sure they will either cook these traditional foods for you, or take you to a little restaurant where they know where you can taste the best of their country’s delicacies.

Learning different cultures

 There is no better way to learn another culture than to stay with someone who lives it. When you visit a host, you will see first-hand how people in that country live and act. Unlike when staying at a hotel where you find staff adopt your language and mannerisms in order to make you feel more comfortable.

No, from the type of food they like to eat for breakfast to their work ethic, religious practices and how they regard their elderly, when you stay with a host you really get to understand a different country and culture. And, interestingly, you may find life very different to the one you have always known. Being outside the confines of your own culture can be refreshing and fascinating. Essentially, too, it allows you to challenge certain stereotypes – or confirm them…

You will brush up on your language skills

 If you are attempting to learn another language and find yourself going to stay with a host in a place where it is spoken, then you will definitely return home more fluent. Being immersed in a language is always the best way to learn it. And, no doubt, your host will be able to explain away phrasing and other aspects of the language that may be puzzling you. Certainly, you’ll learn the proper way to pronounce words. It’s also fun teaching your host your language too.

There are more celebrations to be had

 What do we mean by more celebrations? Well, just the fact that when you have friends from around the globe you’ll find there are far more days to celebrate. From Chinese New Year and the Hindu Festival of Lights to France’s Bastille Day and the Mardi Gras Carnival in New Orleans. You can toast your friends abroad from your own home or, if you’re lucky enough, you may be able to go and celebrate right there in person (who wouldn’t want to go to the Mardi Gras, after all!?) The great thing about having a host family or friend is that it’s more financially viable too since you won’t be spending a fortune on your accommodation.

The world will seem smaller

 When you make friends around the world – and go to visit them – the world somehow becomes more manageable. That’s both in the sense of physically getting around it and understanding it.  It’s nice to know you have friends all around the globe. And, actually, the fact the world seems a bit more of an intimate place is our favourite thing about having friends around the globe.

Get in touch

 If you’re keen to expand your own horizons and make friends from around the globe, then now is the time to take a look at our website www.visitsomeone.com. That way you can see who would like to host, and where. Who knows, it may be a country you have been longing to visit for years now. Really, there is no time like the present – and no better way to connect.